


Conner Gets Wired

by defeatedbyabridge



Category: Power Rangers Dino Thunder
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-12-23
Updated: 2007-12-23
Packaged: 2018-01-25 05:33:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1634159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/defeatedbyabridge/pseuds/defeatedbyabridge
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lights on, but no one's home? Short a few kangaroos in the top paddock? Maybe Conner isn't the best person to deal with an intellectual problem.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Conner Gets Wired

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Anita

 

 

Conner raced into Hayley's Cyberspace, out of breath but grinning happily. "Hey, guys, sorry I'm late, practice went over time-" 

Then he saw them. 

Hayley, motionless, on the floor behind the counter.

Ethan. 

Kira. 

Dr O. 

Trent. 

The air shimmered oddly over them. They were all tied to chairs on the stage, with tape over their mouths. There was a sharp tangy smell in the air. A monster, which seemed to be made of multicoloured wires and duct tape, had Dr O by the throat, and was intently pouring some kind of energy into him. Dr O was shaking, sweat pouring down his forehead. Elsa watched. She snarled, "That's it. Keep going."

Trent's head lolled forwards. Ethan's shirt was ripped at the shoulder, exposing a nasty bruise. Kira's cheekbone was bruised and she was glaring at the monster. 

He dropped his bag and raced forwards. Kira saw him. Her eyes widened and she shook her head. Tiny sparks played around her head and neck. She winced, breathing hard. 

Conner stopped just in time to avoid the sparking wires on the floor. They outlined an area around the stage. All of the computer monitors faced the stage too. Every screen showed the same wavy blue pattern, which was oddly hypnotic. Conner's heart leapt in his chest at the sight of Kira, at all of them, helpless and in pain. He'd seen Kira get up after literally being hit with a truck. He knew what kind of punishment she could take. What they could all take. Whatever this monster was doing, it was really hurting them. It could probably get the drop on him too, if he was dumb enough to attack it by himself when the four of them hadn't been enough to take it out. 

But he could save them. If he was clever enough. 

The monster hadn't seen him - it was concentrating too hard on torturing Dr O. Conner ducked back through the door and flattened himself against the wall, heart pounding. Had to figure out what to do. Pity his brain wasn't his strongest point. 

"I have to check on Hayley," he muttered. "The others are all alive, at least, but she could be seriously hurt. Then. . . how did this monster get control of them?" He thought. "I wasn't _that_ late. And they were all meant to get here about the same time as I was. So whatever it did, it must've done it fast."

He took a quick look around, just to make sure there was no one waiting to ambush him, then sank cross-legged to the pavement and tried to picture what must've happened. They would've been sitting at the tables, maybe chatting with Hayley while she finished washing the smoothie glasses by hand (not only was Hayley reliable, but she was also wonderfully predictable). Trent would've put his feet up for a while as Hayley had shut the doors to customers and would've told him to take it easy and that's an order. 

So. . . Elsa and her monster had come in. No broken glass here, which was a good thing for his butt, and the door seemed all right. So maybe they'd come in through the back. Hayley was hurt, so she'd probably been closest. Then Trent, who was also unconscious. Conner shuddered as he realised how he knew. "If Trent was dead they wouldn't want to play with him any more," he said under his breath, then sighed. 

Maybe they'd done something to the computers. He remembered the swirling blue screens. Not quite the same as the blue screen of death he'd kept getting on his dad's computer when he'd tried to finish off that spreadsheet for computer class. But obviously it was something bad. 

Something - that was draining their strength?

Combined with the wires on the floor? 

Something in the zone they'd created that was making it impossible for the Rangers to fight? Conner nodded slowly as everything came together in his mind. 

He ducked a little lower, just in case the lights would be visible through the windows, then said softly, "Dino Thunder. Power up." 

Using his super speed, he whizzed back and forth past the door a few times, increasing the already-present wind so that the door banged against the wall a few times. Then he used one of the gusts to slip inside and dash over to Hayley. She was face down on the floor next to the soda fridge. She didn't seem to be breathing. Conner had to pause for a moment when he heard a massive crackle of energy accompanied by a cry from Ethan. One thing at a time. Swallowing, Conner reached down and gently touched Hayley's shoulder. 

In perfect silence, Hayley whirled around and thrust a handheld mixer right at the point where his face would've been, if he hadn't ducked just in time. Her face was a study in concentration, and Conner suddenly understood exactly how she won the chess Grand Master competition when she was at MIT. Well, apart from the brains part, which she obviously had in plenty. She relaxed when she realised it was him. He held a finger to his lips and she nodded. 

Conner delicately traced the air around her right temple, where he could see a massive bruise. Hayley scrunched up her face, shrugged, then mouthed, "I'm okay." She pantomimed Elsa and the monster materialising somehow through the computers. 

Conner leaned in close and whispered what he needed. She raised her eyebrows and gave him a thumbs up, then helped him gently open the cooler door. She pointed to a big heavy jug. 

Conner stood up. "Hey! Leave my friends alone, you rubber-faced dork!" It wasn't very good, but it was the best he could come up with, given the circumstances. The monster dropped Kira, who rocked back in her chair, gasping. Ethan grinned painfully around the tape when he saw Conner. 

Elsa turned. She made a big showy welcoming gesture. "He's not made of rubber," she snapped. 

Conner took a step forward. He could hear Hayley working softly behind him. "I wasn't talking to _him_."

Elsa frowned. "Ooh, Red Ranger. . . you might be good with sarcasm, but you're not very bright, are you? Not clever enough to run away?"

"I might not've gone to MIT," Conner said, hoisting the jug in the air. "And maybe I'm not too smart. But I do know," he grinned inside his helmet, "that electricity and water don't mix."

He hurled the heavy glass jug at the monster, which roared as it went up in sparks and flames. Hayley popped up from behind the counter and sprayed the water hose from the sink. The no power zone flicked and went out. Dr O, Trent, Kira and Ethan all sat up in their chairs. Trent smiled. Kira laughed. "I can feel it! Yeah!" 

Ethan's forearms glowed blue .He ripped free of the chair and hurled it at the monster. Kira and Dr O ripped free of theirs, then helped Trent stand up. 

Dr O moved forward. "Ready."

"Ready," the others repeated.

"Dino Thunder, power up!"

"White Ranger, Dino power!" 

The wire monster had recovered - to some extent. It staggered forwards, growling, and twirled a long wire at Kira. She leaped over it nimbly, somersaulted, and swiped at it with her Pteragrip on the way past. Conner braced himself. Kira planted her feet firmly in his chest and pushed, sending herself back at the wire monster. 

Conner heard a crash from behind him. He spun. Elsa was flat on the floor, rubbing her head. Hayley stood over her with the food processor. "You messed with my systems," Hayley growled, waving at the computer screens, which were all now blank. "NO ONE messes with my systems." 

It was a short, sweet fight, and it was over all too quickly. 

"Thanks, Conner," Trent said sincerely. He downed an aspirin and took a sip of water. 

"Yeah, thanks, man," said Ethan. "I mean, I'm kind of irritated you're the only one who didn't end up with a sore head, but I guess I can live with it since you saved us and all."

"Just don't get a big head," Kira warned. She handed him a soda, and kissed him swiftly on the cheek. 

"No fear of that with you guys around," Hayley said, laughing. Dr O clinked his glass against hers. 

Conner sat back in his chair and grinned. "I guess you've all helped me too - well, once or twice. I try to remember the little people in my life." Trent spluttered, and threw a muffin at him. Ethan blew his straw wrapper at him, which bounced off his chest. 

Not a bad day's work for a dumb guy. 

 


End file.
